Chapter 32 Attending the Banquet (Second Update Randomly Dropped): No matter how much fun we have, it's still confined to this house, or more specifically, only to Dongxiao...

No matter how much fun you have, it's still confined to this house, or more specifically, the east courtyard.

To be honest, Shen Wanqing was quite satisfied with Yu Lang's current job. If he were simply a captain of the Plain Yellow Banner, even if he had to supervise the training of the cavalry and infantry under his command, he could stay at home every day.

Although they had already slept together, it didn't make much difference to Shen Wanqing whether he was home or not. However, a suitable distance wasn't a bad thing for a newlywed couple, and it was even better for two people whose bodies were physically close but whose souls were still far apart.

At least for now, Shen Wanqing was sitting on the daybed, looking at the figure behind the screen with smooth, muscular build, a slender waist, and a silhouette that seemed to be riding a horse from left to right shoulder, and she had no intention of taking her eyes off him.

"Why did you choose this lamp after all that picking and choosing? I thought you would like that revolving lantern."

"My second aunt has had her eye on that lamp for a long time, and I have no intention of taking what belongs to someone else."

Nowadays, the revolving lantern is a rare find. It is made in the form of a hexagonal palace lantern, with each side painted with a lifelike picture of a lady. The heat from the lit candle drives the leaf inside the lantern to rotate, and the candlelight then projects the picture of the lady onto the wall, creating a truly immersive and visually appealing scene.

This kind of rotating lantern might be a novelty to the locals, but Shen Wanqing, an outsider, couldn't pretend to be particularly interested. What she liked was the craftsmanship of the paintings of ladies, which was so good that she couldn't take her eyes off it.

"No matter how good the painting is, it's enough to just look at it. My second aunt still has a great use for that lamp. If I were to take it from her, I would truly be making an enemy of her."

She always calls her "Second Aunt," even though Shumulu is only twenty-nine this year, which would be considered her prime in later generations. Even though people in this world have to appear dignified and mature in public, how could they possibly be completely indifferent in private?

Moreover, no matter how much Shumulu resented He Yi, once she got over the worst of it, she would still try her best to keep He Yi by her side. And that revolving lantern was the Second Madam's preparation for tonight.

"You, you dare to blurt out anything. Before the wedding, I did some research, and everyone said that the fifth daughter of the Shen family was the most gentle and quiet, but that's all fake."

"You're still asking about me? Don't think I don't know that the eldest son of the Hesheli family is not satisfied with this marriage and thinks that I, a girl from the Shen family, am not good enough for you, is that right?"

The last four words were spoken with great care and complexity, and Yu Lang, who emerged from behind the screen, felt a chill run down his spine from her clear, bright, and somewhat melodious voice.

As he came out, he saw Shen Wanqing leaning to one side, raising her hand to turn the rabbit-shaped lantern she had chosen that night. The orange-yellow candlelight shone from the snow-white, somewhat plump rabbit, casting a hazy glow on his wife, as if her whole body was radiating light.

"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time for people to be reunited under the full moon. Why is Grandma bringing up those old, trivial matters?"

Yu Lang shamelessly refused to admit his previous little thoughts. What did family background matter? Right now, he felt that no woman in the world was as good as the one in front of him. Let alone the daughter of a noble family, even a celestial being descended to earth probably wouldn't catch his eye.

"Are you trying to shut me up with what I said?"

The original owner was older than Yu Lang, and Shen Wanqing was even older. Seeing Yu Lang sidling up to her like a puppy, she not only didn't dodge but also used the force of his hand to push her waist into his palm.

"No, it's just..."

Yu Lang was naturally trying to shut her up by quoting what Shen Wanqing had said, but how could he admit it now? He wanted to make excuses but couldn't think of any, when suddenly the tassel of the rabbit-shaped lantern brushed against his forehead.

"Why did you pick such a fat rabbit?"

"So cute, so adorable."

This lamp wasn't actually very well made; at least in the eyes of contemporaries, it lacked liveliness and was too bulky and unattractive. But Shen Wanqing liked it very much; she had taken a liking to it at first sight when she was in the garden just now.

"So cute~" Yu Lang looked at his wife Bai Yingying's cheeks, his tongue pressed against the tip of his canine teeth, pondering the two words over and over again, when suddenly a strange, inexplicable feeling of sourness welled up in his heart.

The old man from the Hesheli family didn't know that this emotion had a scientific name: jealousy. Even if he did, he would never admit that he was jealous of a fat rabbit lamp.

But a heart filled with sour vinegar always needs an outlet, so Yu Lang had no choice but to instinctively carry Shen Wanqing into the side room, so that she could no longer see that damn lamp.

No one can stop Shen Wanqing from doing what she's set out to do.

Yu Lang wanted to persuade her again, but he had to go to the palace to work the day after the Mid-Autumn Festival. He had seen how Shen Wanqing handled the affairs of the East Courtyard and heard her grand words about becoming a powerful matriarch. So he was too embarrassed to say anything.

Standing in the side room, the couple, facing each other, had the morning sun shining on half of their faces through the window lattice. The little maid in the courtyard outside watched through the small pane of glass in the middle of the window and thought that the master and mistress were really loving.

"Your mother has to look after Bodhisattva Bao and Fangyi, so she can't help you much. Please be understanding."

“I’ve been causing trouble in the west courtyard every day, and my mother hasn’t said a single bad word about me. That’s enough.”

Shen Wanqing is not good at serving people, but she is exceptionally good at putting on an act.

While Yu Lang was getting dressed and washing up, she was so busy at the dressing table that she didn't even have time to glance at him. When she saw that he was dressed properly, she got up and went to him to straighten his clothes and pull his belt. She even touched his purse and jade pendant one by one, looking incredibly attentive.

“…Jiyun.” Yu Lang never expected Shen Wanqing to answer like that, and the last trace of worry he had was completely dispelled. His wife was a woman of great wisdom and wouldn't care about such details.

"Don't say anything, I understand." The child couldn't hide the emotion in his heart. Shen Wanqing could guess what Yu Lang was thinking just by looking into his eyes.

Unfortunately, Shen Wanqing's intentions were exactly the opposite of his. She simply felt that it was better for Niohuru Shi not to get involved at this time, so that she could rightfully take over the management of the East Courtyard in the future. If Niohuru Shi really helped, she might have to give up a portion of the profits later. It would be so frustrating to have the benefits in her mouth but not be able to have them all.

After seeing Yu Lang off, Shen Wanqing originally planned to go and check on the Mid-Autumn Festival gifts she had received. However, Fu Xuan, who had casually mentioned at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet yesterday that she would come to pick her up to go to the First-Class Duke's Mansion, actually arrived early.

"Mother drank a couple too much last night and has a bit of a headache this morning. My second sister-in-law will take us to the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet today."

"Then I'll go check on the old lady first. Is she feeling unwell this morning or did it start last night? Why didn't you send someone over to let her know?"

"There are so many people in the main courtyard, why are you in such a hurry? The old lady went to sleep as soon as you left last night, and nothing happened."

"Then I'll go to Mother's place and at least pay my respects before I go."

“I came from my sister-in-law’s place. She was originally going to go too, but when I told her I was going to take you, she said she wouldn’t go. She also said you don’t need to go to her place again, to save yourself the trouble.”

Hey! Shen Wanqing couldn't help but chuckle to herself. She suddenly realized that the most difficult person to deal with in the entire Hesheli family was never the old lady or the second wife, but her aunt Fu Xuan, who looked shrewish and a bit brainless, yet was also a bit cunning.

"Why does my aunt insist on choosing me? I just got married. What if she makes a mistake and picks the wrong person for you?"

My previous workplace was a large organization. Besides the fact that large organizations have complex interpersonal relationships and are relatively stable, there is one thing that you can't avoid: being introduced to potential partners.

Shen Wanqing had been introduced to various jobs by others for several years since she joined the company, and even after she became a project manager, it didn't stop. She wondered if it was because she had caused too many headaches for the union and logistics staff back then, and now that she was in a different world, karma had come back to bite her, and it was her turn to have a headache.

"You're amazing! You have no idea how amazing you are. Ever since you came into our family, look at everyone, every single one of them talks about you. Amazing people have sharp eyes and quick minds. If I don't rely on you, who else can I rely on?"

"You're so smart, of course you know that if you can find me a good family, I'll be your most reliable support after I get married. A married woman's words don't carry no weight. Who will be the matriarch of the family then? Need I say more?"

Fu Xuan made no attempt to hide her thoughts, leaving Shen Wanqing speechless and unsure of where to begin her rebuttal. She could only nod helplessly and say, "Then wait for me, Auntie. I'll comb my hair and then I'll be on my way."

There are more than one first-class duke's mansion in the capital, but for the Hesheli family, there is only one first-class duke's mansion that is not named: the maternal family of Empress Hesheli.

Empress Dowager Gabula died ten years ago, and the current First-Class Duke is the Crown Prince's maternal uncle. Although the branch of the family of Soetu is now more prominent and glorious, the fact that the Emperor is the legitimate father-in-law and brother-in-law still makes Gabula's branch particularly special in the capital, after all, they are the true relatives of the Empress Dowager.

Currently, the head of the First-Class Duke's Mansion is the wife of First-Class Duke Changtai, a woman from the Guarjia clan. She is said to be a very capable, virtuous, and well-managed lady.

After leaving the Hesheli family's house, Shen Wanqing and Fu Xuan rode in the same carriage. Fu Xuan kept talking about the connection between her family and the First-Class Duke's Mansion, what kind of person the First-Class Duke's wife was, and who would be attending today's chrysanthemum appreciation banquet.

Shen Wanqing, however, focused entirely on the world outside the carriage. This was only the second time she had left the Hesheli family home since she arrived.

Last time, when she returned to her parents' home to visit the Shen family, her mind was entirely focused on how to deceive them, leaving no room for anything else. This time, finally having time to think about other things, Shen Wanqing's gaze towards the carriage was almost greedy.

She didn't realize it when she was in that little courtyard every day, but when she came out and saw the bustling, even somewhat dusty, streets, Shen Wanqing realized how much she loved the liveliness.

As a result, his fingers, which were originally hanging down on his knees, tightened unconsciously. For a moment, he even had the thought that he should just take the power of stewardship from Shumulu by force.

After all, the matriarch who manages the household can't possibly spend all her time just staying in the inner quarters. She also has to take care of the shops, farmland, and social interactions with relatives, colleagues, and friends. So she'll have many more opportunities to go out.

Fortunately, the two houses were not far apart, and the inertia of the carriage stopping interrupted Shen Wanqing's thoughts. She looked at Fu Xuan, whose mouth was dry from talking, and said, "The old lady didn't come not because she was unwell, but because she didn't intend to come in the first place."

"I told you you were smart. Our family is missing someone as smart as you. My second sister-in-law is no match for you."

Although the two branches of the same clan have been separated for many years, the Tongjia clan is of a higher generation and older age. If she were to come today, the Guarjia clan would have to put on a show of supporting her.

But she is the wife of a first-class duke, while Lady Tongjia, the former wife of a minister, has been out of favor for too long. If she comes back, she won't be able to put on airs and everyone will feel awkward. Why bother?

"Alright, I promise my sister-in-law I'll carefully choose the best husband's family in the whole capital for you. Don't worry."

Even if Lady Tongjia didn't come, Fuxuan's seniority was still higher. She would be of the same generation as Gabula. There was nothing wrong with that in itself, but at the same time, she was also an old maid who was twenty years old and still unmarried. With these two identities combined, it wasn't something to be proud of in the eyes of everyone at the moment.

But she still came despite her reluctance; otherwise, outsiders would forget that the Hesheli family had such an old maid. Marrying into a good family was the best way out she could think of right now. Shen Wanqing saw her predicament and felt somewhat sorry for her.

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Updates are unpredictable; there might be one today but not tomorrow. I'll try my best to update.

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